Clock.



L. F. VINI-IR.

CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, |913.

1,1 35,228. 4 Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

L?, 23" /55 i 26 Z5 sierras PATENT OFFICE.

LEVEBETT F. AVINER, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

' l CLOCK.' l l 1,135,228 specification of Letters ratent. PatentedApr.13,1915.

i I Application led December 31, 1913. Serial No. $119,724. l

To all whom may concern Be it known that I, Lnvnnn'rr F. VINER, a

itizen of. the United States residing at Worcester, in the county oforcester and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulClock, of which the following is a ciication.

y hisinvention relates to a clock novelty and the principal objectsthereof are to provide a simple and practicable form of clock which canbe set into a iioor in such a wa .as to constitute 4a part of the floorand. e visible to persons walking over it and in its vicinity; toprovide means whereby the clock face can be lighted up from the interiorin such a way as to show the time accurately and clearly to personslocated in the vicinity of the clock and standing on vthe floor in.whichitis placed; to provide a construction of clock for this and similarpurposes in which4 the outer plate can be removed Iconveniently in orderto provide access to the 1nter1or; to provlde aR construc- A f tion inwhich the plate usually employed for the purpose of receiving the dialis entirely eliminated so as to simplify the arrangementand permit easyaccess to its interior; and 4to provide for ventilation and drainage. Itis to be .understoodl also that while the principal purpose' of theclock is to be located 1n and constitute a part of a floor or the like,lyet some of the principles involved herein can be applied to a clockpermanently located in a vertical wall or the like.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accom. panying drawings in whch- Figure 1is a plan of a clock constructed in accordance with this invention withparts broken away .to'show interior construction; 2 is acentral-vertical sectional v1ew of portionof the supportingringlon'enlarged` 7 45 the same; Fig. 3 isa vsectional vie'w of, a

scale; Eig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective `jew of part of the casing;.and Fig' 1s a sectional view of a part of the lifting ring andthe dialplate.. L th forni` shown is ,designedto be set into an opening 10 1nherein, the invention a door 11, sidewalk or-the like. For this purposethe opening is 4provided with a circumferential recess at lthe top inwhich is located a circular ring 13 having a illange at the top settinglin said recess and a hori.A zontal mwardly extending flange 14 at thedoor as indicated in Fig. 2, and it supportsa second removable ring 18having an out-- wardly' extending Bange 19 at the top for ttin the ring13 and anrinwardly extending ange 2O at the bottom in horizontalposition fitting in the space behind the ange 15. This removable ring isdesigned to be temporarily secured in place by screws 21er the like. Onthis ring is supported-a plate 22 of transparent or translucentmaterial, preferably glass. The plate normally rests on the packing 16but can be lifted out of the ring 13 by lifting out the ring 18. This isaccomplished by taking out two of the opposite screws 21, loosening theothers, and screwing in a pair of handles 23 having screw-threaded endsY' correspondingwith the screws 21, but not long enough to enter thering 13. It will be M obvlous that in this way the ring 18 and plate22-can be lifted out to expose the interior of the device. p l

The plate 22 has been described as translucent or transparent, and it ispreferably formed of transparent material rendered translucent byfrosting or grinding the upper surface. This can be done when the plateis manufactured or if the plate is put down in a perfectly transparentcondition the wea-r w ich it receives will ordinarily have the sameeffect.' On the bottom of this plate preferably is located a clock dialI formed by opaque numerals and 'witha'ny desired divisions.

Inside the openin 10 and below the ring 13 is a casing, the si es ofwhich areformed by one or more curved outside plates 25 connected withthe ring 13 by an angle iron 26. The outside ,plate supports the bottom"plate 27 by corner angle irons, and a seriesof vertical strips 28 areused to connect the bottom and top angle irons and strengthen i thecasing. This casing is provided with a series of openings2`9.. eachhaving a covering of cloth 30 and a screen 31. These are used forventilation and to prevent too high heating of the device withoutadmitting dust. 7

At the center of the `bottom plate is a clock mechanism 32 which may beof any desired kind, the details not being' shown.

, but at the ends they lare provided with skeleton frames 36, each ofwhich carries a pointer 37 consisting of a sheet of colored celluloid orglass fixed tothe skeleton frame by rivets or the like. In practice Iprefer t0 have these celluloid pointers red in color and inthat case theremainder of each hand looks black to the observer. These hands arecaused by the clock mechanism to revolve'directly under the dial.

The casing is provided, preferably under each of the twelve numerals ofthe dial, with an electric lamp 40 arranged in a circle and supportednsockets 38 carried by the casing and having mains 39 for supplyingpower;

The use of the mechanism will be understood readily from what has beensaid. The clock is operati@ either byl electricity or other motive powerand the lights are l turned on whenever desired. When illumif nated thehands appear 1n the same way as in an ordinary clock tothe observer fromabove. They rotatedirectly under the dial land by having the Vcoloredvvpointers their position is seen more readily and they tend to attractmore attention.

there is any 'clock or other mechanism under 1 the platef when thelights are turned olf.

Consequently if it is out. of order it will appear simplyhas a 4circularglass lslab, and no false impression of 'the time need be .given -to thepublic vasis often done by ordinary v clocks when they get out of order.

and will be in constant use.` It is of special advantage to place it atthe entrance of a hotel or the like as people departing for trains andthe like are almost forced to' The device is designed particularly ltobe placed in the floors of public places where it will be seen by agreat number of persons know the time of their departure therefrom.

It is foundjin practice that onl account of the novel nature of` theVarrangement it attracts universal attention and conveys im# portantinformation constantly. As Vit can be used in sidewalks\and pavements aswell asfloors, it is to be. understood that such use is contemplatedwhen I use the word iioor.`

Although I have illustrated and described only a 'single form of theinvention, I am aware of the fact that many modifications can' be madetherein by any person skilled in the art without departing from thescope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details ofconstruction herein shown and described,` but What I do claim is 1. Asan article of manufacture, a clock having a horizontal top plate oftranslucent material having a dial on the bottom and adapted to be setinto a recess in a horizontal surface and provided with means accessiblefrom the top of said plate and located beyond its periphery for liftingit out of the recess, and a pair of clock hands under said .plate andindependent thereof, where-- bywhen the plate is lifted off the handswill 3. The combination with a horizontal rin I set v into a Hoor andhaving an interna flange, of a second ring removably mounted on saidflange, a gla'ssplate' carried by,rand removable with, the second ringand having a clock dial on the bottom thereof, and clock mechanism belowthe dial. v 1- 4. The c mbination with a ring set permanently in a floorand havingan internal flange, of a second ring removably supported onsaid flange, means for securing the second ring to the lirst'V ring,'aglass plateloo mounted on'the second ring and v,renmvable thefewlth and'having a clock dial thereon;

'the Vsecond ring being provided with. means bv which it, withthe plate,can be lifted vout of the-first ring from above.

` 5. The `combination'with a ring adapted'u to beset uinto a floor, saidAring having a horizontal finner flan e at 'the bottom upturned at itsinner e ge and having drain-'- age passages therethrough, and al glassplate flange, and removcarried on said upturne able therefrom, saidplatehavingfa clock dial thereon. K

6. In a devicer of the character described, the combination of a clockdial 4adapted tov be set ina floor, a series of electric lamps my hand,in lthe presence of two subscrihy located under the clock dial, and apair of ing witnesses.

hands located between the lamps and clock y dial, each of ,said handskeng mainly 'of LEVERETT F' VINER 5 opaque material and having a pointerthere- Witnesses:

0n of Colored transparentmateral. ALBERT E. FAY,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto' set C. FoRREsT WEssoN.

